I pull up the dress Ellian loaned me and lift it over my head then toss it to the ground in rage. I’ve never been prouder to be back in my ivory and blue. I touch each of my remaining knives to ground myself, and then unsheathe my sword.

The gate lifts. With a shout, I run toward my fate.

36

CALLEN

In the stands above us, General Marchess must be laughing. He knew exactly what he was doing when he chose our opponents.

The stallion was first, released kicking and bucking with all his strength. They’d fitted him with a crude armor, which was more of a shock than anything else. After a few charges, Ox got the noble beast in the eye. Next, they loosed a pair of black bears—starved by the looks of them and wearing poorly fitted helmets as well. Sethran and I charged them together as Ox took a defensive position.

With a battle cry, I’d run forward, looking for a sign, any sign, of Knowledge, but the glassy black that met me was the only confirmation I needed. The bear turned enough that my swing to its paw met its mark. Ox took his shot and made it. Without hesitation, we turned. The other bear charged, too quickly for us to attack. I slid my axe to the side and rolled out of the way, finding my axe once more. Dust rose in the air. The bear turned for Sethran alone, but our commander was ready. When the animal swung, he flattened himself against the ground, then twisted to get the bear from below.

As the animal fell, I felt a pang of hope mixed with dread. Without an ocean to have us fight in, I knew what was next.

The lioness is hardy and huge. Unlike the bears, she has been properly fed, and she fights. Her armor is the best of them all. Still not perfect, but the plates interlock correctly, and her helm is secure. General Marchess said he studied us. Somehow he found a lioness without Knowledge, in lands beyond where Leonodai have ever been.

Dents in the metal mark where our aim was true, but not enough to puncture it. The lioness’s wild eyes thrash from side to side. There is no soul there. Nothing. It’s as crazed as the humans around us, and just as lost.

Still, something in me hesitates. We continue to dodge as best we can, to the enormous entertainment of the humans who throw rotted food and horse dung down onto us. I am better than this. We are better. I find myself wishing for more aid, but when the gate clangs open and I see what the humans have sent forth, I curse the skies, wishing anew that I’d asked for anything else.